Barbecue grills are very widely used today. One popular type of barbecue grill is referred to as a kettle-type grill. A barbecue kettle may consist of a generally semi-spherical bottom bowl that has a circular opening with a cooking grid located slightly below the upper rim of the bowl. A generally semi-spherical top cover can be placed on the bottom bowl to enclose the barbecue kettle. The barbecue kettle is supported on a leg arrangement. This kettle configuration is a registered trademark of the Assignee of the present invention.
Presently, one of the most popular barbecue grills is marketed by the Assignee of the present invention. One type of these barbecue grills that has received very favorable acceptance by consumers is disclosed in U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 33,091, owned by the Assignee of the present invention, and is sold under the trademark ONE-TOUCH.RTM..
Barbecue kettles that are designed for burning charcoal or some other carbon-based product as a fuel generally have a second or lower grid for supporting the charcoal below the cooking grid. Additionally, both the bottom bowl and top cover generally have vent openings. The vent openings provide the interior of the kettle grill with the necessary oxygen for combustion of the charcoal while the cover is located on the bottom bowl.
During operation, the charcoal on the second grid bums, turns to ash, and falls to the bottom of the bowl. Additionally, grease, cooking fat, pieces of the food being cooked, portions of hot coals and other things also might fall to the bottom of the bowl. A plurality of openings are commonly located at the bottom of the bowl to allow this material to be discharged out of the bowl. Often, these openings are also employed as the vent openings for allowing air into the kettle for combustion of the charcoal fuel. As the ash from the burned fuel falls from the second grid, however, it may accumulate in the bottom of the bowl. A successful apparatus for scraping and disposing of this ash and debris from the bottom of the kettle through the openings, and for controlling the air intake into the bottom of the kettle is disclosed in U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 33,091 ("the '091 patent").
The scraping and disposing means disclosed the '091 patent includes a disc mounted immediately above the center of the bottom for rotation about a vertical axis and has three arms secured thereto. The handle is positioned below the bottom of the grill and secured to the disc. The arms are generally triangular in cross-section and have distal edges fitting closely to the bottom. In one position, the arms cover the bowl openings, but may be rotated back and forth to push ash along the bottom of the bowl to the openings where it will fall out. The disc, arms and handle are designed to be assembled without using any tools. However, to assemble the scraping and disposal means described in the '091 patent a separate releaseable retaining means is provided. Thus, the scraping and disposal means is often difficult to assemble and costly to manufacture.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved scraping and disposing means that is easily assembled, does not require a separate retaining means, and does not require tools to assemble while at the same time is less costly to manufacture.